Guide for the Immigration Procedures for International Exchange Students UC3M and NPS Associates offer you this Guide on Immigration procedures. Through this guide you will have access to a wide range of information regarding visas, immigration procedures, and regulations relative to international exchange students and their relatives coming to UC3M. UC3M declines any responsibility for any inaccurate or not up to date information that we might receive. All the information included in this document has been updated on July 12, 2017. We advise you to check the information published by the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs before travelling to Spain. July 12, 2017 1 INDEX 1. BEFORE ARRIVING IN SPAIN: a. Students from the European Union, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Switzerland and family members……………….3 b. Students not from the European Union, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Switzerland…………………………………..3 c. Students not from the European Union, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Switzerland but taking part in a mobility program in the European Union……………………………………………………………………………………………….3 Types of study visas…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..5 2. ON ARRIVING IN SPAIN: a. Students from the European Union, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Switzerland: Central Registry of Foreign Citizens………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….7 b. Students not from the European Union, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Switzerland: foreign national ID card………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…8 c. Students not from the European Union, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Switzerland but taking part in a mobility program in the European Union……………………………………………………………………………………………………..9 3. DURING YOUR STAY: Extension of stay for studying: renewal of the foreign student ID card……………………………………………………..…10 Authorization of stay for student family members………………………………………………………………………………..12 Student employment…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………13 Return permit…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………13 In case your passport or student ID is lost or stolen……………………………………………………………………………. 14 2 Before arriving in Spain: a. Students from the European Union, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Switzerland and family members If you are a national of one of the mentioned countries, you will only require a valid national I.D. card or passport from your country of origin to enter Spain. If you are going to stay more than 3 months, consult the section “On arriving in Spain”. b. Students not from the European Union, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Switzerland Those nationals who are required to obtain a visa to enter Spain must apply for one at the Spanish consulate in their country of residence. Exchange students must apply for a student visa, not a tourist visa, for their stay at the UC3M. The documents required for the application vary according to the motive for applying, the age of the applicant, etc. Please check the web page of Spain’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, http://www.exteriores.gob.es/Portal/es/Paginas/inicio.aspx, to find the types of visas and documents required. c. Students from outside the European Union, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Switzerland but taking part in a mobility program in the European Union If you are already studying in a country from the European Union and you come to study at Carlos III, due to your citizenship Spain requires you to apply for a visa because you are studying at a non-Schengen country, therefore you should apply for your student visa at the nearest Spanish consulate in your country of residence. If you come from a country which Spain doesn´t require you to issue a visa and you have a residence permit from a country within the European Union, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Switzerland, you won´t need to apply for a visa. If you plan to stay in Spain longer than 6 months please read the information on “On arriving Spain” *Note: EU members are the following: Germany, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Croatia, Denmark, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, United Kingdom, Czech Republic; Romania; Sweden. 3 STUDENT VISA This enables the holder to be in Spain for periods longer than 90 days to undertake or further one’s studies in an authorized educational institution in Spain, in a full-time program which leads to the attainment of a degree or certificate of studies. The duration of the stay will be equal to the duration of the course to which the applicant has been admitted or the research project that they will carry out, with a maximum stay of up to 1 year. You must apply for the visa through the Spanish consulate in your country of residence. The application must be filed in person although in some cases the documentation may be submitted by mail. Some Consulates may require to have an appointment. At the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs webpage you will find where the nearest Consulate is located, specific fees to be paid depending on your nationality and documents to be submitted: http://www.exteriores.gob.es/Portal/es/ServiciosAlCiudadano/Paginas/EmbajadasConsulados.aspx# Documents normally required to process the visa (original and copy): •Application Form for a national visa. It can be downloaded from this web page: http://www.exteriores.gob.es/Embajadas/OTTAWA/Documents/Solicitud%20de%20visado%20nacion al%20-%20Espa%c3%b1ol.pdf •Valid passport for the duration of the stay (otherwise, it must be renewed) •Document that certifies admission to any of the programs of the UC3M or research project, outlining the contents of the course of studies, training or research •Medical insurance that covers medical expenses for the duration of the stay and repatriation in case of accident or sudden illness. Some Consulates may require a mandatory minimum coverage. •Document that certifies you possess sufficient economic means for subsistence and housing for the period requested and to guarantee your return to your country of origin. The economic means required are equal to the monthly quantity of the IPREM (legally established index according to which government aid, grants, etc. are awarded in Spain), which for 2016 was set at 532.51€ per month, so the total for a full one-year course would be 6,390.12€. For stays of less than one year, the total would be 532.51€ multiplied by the number of months your stay in Spain will last. •Housing in Spain (not required in all cases) •Passport-size (32 x 26 mm) color photos with white background. The number of photos required depends on the consulate and will vary from 2 to 4. •Proof of payment of consulate fees (different in each one) If your studies or research will last more than 6 months, you must also provide: •Medical certification that you suffer from no contagious illnesses that must be treated under quarantine issued within the last 90 days. •Police record issued by the authorities of your country of origin or the country where you have lived for the last five years, issued within the last 90 days. Some Consulates placed in the US may accept a state- 4 level background check from the state of residence (although FBI Background Check is still the most suitable documentation). The Police certificate must be authenticated by the embassy or the apostille (Hague Convention). Authentication by the Apostille of The Hague will only be accepted if the issuing country is signatory to such agreement. The consulate may want to meet with you for a personal interview. The official period for processing the permit is seven days from the date the application is submitted. If you receive no response within this period, it can be assumed that the response is favorable and the visa has been granted. The official period for collecting the visa is TWO MONTHS* from the date of notification. At that time, you will have to go to the consulate to have the visa stamped in your passport. If you do not collect the visa in those two months, the application will be rejected. *Note: Given the large number of applications received by the consulates, it is possible these periods are not adhered to. As such, we recommend not putting off your application for the visa and confirm the periods for each consulate at http://www.exteriores.gob.es/Portal/es/ServiciosAlCiudadano/Paginas/EmbajadasConsulados.aspx Through the following link you can check the status of your application: https://sutramiteconsular.maec.es/Home.aspx TYPES OF STUDENT VISAS: A. For single-semester students (stays of less than six months): If you are only going to stay at the UC3M for one semester, you must be aware that your visa covers the length of your stay with us. You will be granted the visa for a period of around 180 days (depending on the consulate, it may be a few days less). Make sure you are granted visa type “D” and with multiple entries. That way, you can travel to your home country and back to Spain several times during your stay. If it is not a type “D”, return to the consulate to modify it. It will not be possible to do so once in Spain. Under no circumstance should they grant you a 90-day visa. The 180 days student visa allows you to be in Spain but is not valid to travel freely within the Schengen* area. Authorized period of stay in Spain: At Madrid’s airport (or any other in Europe), you will receive a stamp with the official date of entry in Spain. You should calculate the authorized period of stay in Spain starting from this date (if you enter Spain on September 1st, 2016 and your visa is for 180 days, your visa will expire in a period of 180 calendar days). These Visas can be extended once in Spain through the procedure explained in section C, page 10 which describes the steps to extend your student visa.